


Siege of the Heart

by HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL



Category: Home and Away (TV), Willex - Fandom
Genre: And an explanation as to why Willow was gone, Because what the hell since when was she away?, Because why did everyone else get scenes together before the siege and Willex didn't, F/F, Siege Fic, That's homophobic ;), and some added Willex time before the siege happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:29:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21603763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL/pseuds/HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL
Summary: The much-requested Willex siege fic, with an intro chapter as to where Willow had been when Jasmine randomly said "A lot's happened while you were away." Because...huh? With POVs from both Alex and Willow during the siege and a reunion chapter to follow, because who wants to wait until January for that to happen, right? ;)
Relationships: Willow Harris/Alex Neilson
Comments: 73
Kudos: 264





	1. A Lot's Happened While You Were Away

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the many on here and on Tumblr who asked for a siege fic. Hope you enjoy it! :)

“I don’t care if it hurts in the end...because you’re so worth it.” 

Alex had replayed it in her head probably a million times throughout the rest of her shift at the hospital. And every time, it brought a smile to her face. Willow thought she was worth it. Not even her ex had thought that, choosing a life of spontaneity and travel over staying put and settling down with her. Her ex didn't think ten years together was worth it. But in the short time they'd been dating, Willow did. Willow thought she was worth it. The doctor smiled again while sitting at her desk in her office, having finally been able to take a short break from the busy afternoon they'd been having in the emergency department. 

Much to her dismay, Alex hadn't had a chance to reply to Willow's sentiment, having been interrupted by a nurse barging in with an emergency, abruptly cutting off their moment and any chance Alex had of responding to Willow's concerns and, not to mention, that admission. She'd given her a quick kiss on the forehead, telling her they'd talk later before hurrying out of her office to tend to the emergency. She’d hated having to leave Willow hanging like that, especially having just poured her heart out to the doctor. It was something she greatly admired about her girlfriend...the way she wore her heart on her sleeve. Alex was the complete opposite...always had been. She was the guarded, reserved, and private type. And because she was that way, it had almost been the cause of Willow breaking up with her. 

She hadn’t realized how distraught the trainer had been over the possibility of Alex having to leave the Bay after her contract was up. She’d played it off as no big deal, because to her it hadn’t been a big deal. The thought never occurred to her that the two of them would break things off when Alex had to leave for her next contract. To her, work and their relationship were two very separate things. She’d just assumed that they would work it out and make it work until Alex could find a contract closer to the Bay or maybe even eventually...a permanent position at Northern Districts. And yes, a part of her was sad and a bit terrified of having to leave her girlfriend behind while trying to juggle the difficulties of a long-distance relationship with a new job. But to Alex, Willow was worth it too. After all, it was never just a fling for her. 

But what she hadn’t realized, and she’d been mentally kicking herself the rest of the day for this, was just how much everything had been affecting Willow. She should have known by the number of times the trainer had brought up her contract ending. She should have known by the pleading look in her eyes every time Alex had played it off as no big deal. She should have known by those latest nights in bed when she’d hadn’t wanted to do anything except have Alex hold her. She just...really should have known. 

Alex closed her eyes and rubbed her temples in frustration, trying to quell the impending headache she felt coming on while trying to figure out how she was going to pick up where’d they’d left off with the conversation they’d been having earlier. But really, there was no good way to do it. Alex knew this. The moment had come and gone and, as usual, work had interrupted them. She was tired of the interruptions. Alex knew they needed to talk. They needed to sort things out and make sure both were on the same page when it came to their feelings and what that meant for the two of them moving forward. And it needed to be done with no chance of interruption. But how? Suddenly, an idea sprang up in Alex’s head, causing her to sit up straight in her chair and open up her laptop, a determined look on her face. 

*********************************************************** 

When Alex stepped inside her house that evening, she was immediately greeted by the delicious smell of something cooking coming from her kitchen. What was cooking, she wasn’t sure, but the aroma suddenly made her very aware that she was actually pretty hungry, having to skip lunch due to several emergencies that had needed her attention. She smiled as she heard the sounds of Willow tinkering in her kitchen as she sat her stuff down and headed towards it. 

When Alex entered the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of her gorgeous girlfriend taking a baking dish out of the oven. The doctor watched, with a smile on her face, as Willow sat the dish down onto a beautifully set table, complete with candles and a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice. God, she adored that woman. Of course, in the back of her mind, tucked away carefully so as not to blurt something out too soon, Alex knew it was more than adoration. But neither one of them were ready to make that leap yet. They’d have plenty of time to navigate those growing feelings that lead to confessions. They’d have plenty of time. 

“Hey.” Alex finally said, her voice soft and full of the emotions she’d just been feeling inside. 

A surprised Willow looked up after finishing lighting the candles. 

“Hey!” She replied, setting down the matches and walking over to her girlfriend, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “I didn’t even hear you come in.” 

“One has to be cautious when entering their house and smelling something delicious cooking. Could be a burglar cooking herself a meal before looting the place.” Alex joked, getting a small chuckle out of Willow. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble though. I would have been perfectly happy with some takeout and several glasses of wine.” 

“Well...I’ve got the wine covered. And...who says this isn’t takeout I was trying to disguise as a home-cooked meal before my girlfriend came home unannounced and ruined the charade?” 

This time it was Alex who chuckled, eyeing the casserole dish on the table. 

“So, it’s from Salt? Oh...or maybe that cozy little café we discovered just outside of town the other day?” 

“Nope. It’s neither.” Willow answered quickly before heading over to the counter to grab the corkscrew so she could open up the wine and pour Alex the glass she knew the doctor always needed after a long day at the hospital. 

“Oh really? Okay, hmmmm....don’t tell me it’s that terrible Italian take away place down the road from the gym. Cause you always say their marinara sauce is-” 

“If you must know.” Willow interrupted as she walked back over to the table, giving Alex a sly smile as she started opening the wine. “Irene trusted me with her top-secret baked spaghetti recipe.” 

“Ah, so it’s Irene I have to thank for cooking us this amazing smelling dinner tonight?” Alex quipped, knowing it would get a reaction out of her girlfriend. 

Willow sat the corkscrew down, stepping close into Alex’s space. 

“I made dinner. I did. Nobody else.” She stated seriously. 

“You made dinner?” 

“That’s what I just said.” Willow replied, frustration in her voice. 

“And...is it edible? We aren’t going to need to rush to emergency after eating it? Alex teased, loving how adorable Willow looked in her frustration. 

“Aleeeeex. Come on. I worked really hard to do this. You know how limited my cooking skills are. But I’ve been trying to learn. I just...” 

Willow’s voice trailed off as her eyes shifted to the ground, getting lost in her emotions. After a moment, she gathered her thoughts and her wits as she looked back up at her girlfriend. 

“I just wanted to do something special for you...especially after what I said earlier. I just...wanted to make sure you knew I meant it.” 

Alex’s demeanor instantly softened, knowing now wasn’t the time to be teasing her girlfriend. They were now back in serious discussion mode, as they had been in Alex’s office. So, Alex took a step closer to Willow, reaching out to place her hand on the side of the trainer’s cheek. 

“Baby, of course I know you mean it. You’re one of the few people I know who have no qualms about saying exactly what they mean...what they’re feeling. And I-” 

“Did you just call me baby? Willow interrupted, a sly smile quirking across her lips and a sudden gleam in her eyes. 

A huge smile spread across Alex’s lips. 

“Now there’s the Willow that I know and ...adore.” 

Love. She had almost said love. It had been on the tip of her tongue, but thankfully, Alex had quickly corrected herself mentally before saying it aloud. Now was not the time. There would be plenty of time for that. 

“You adore me, huh?” Willow replied, raising her eyebrows up and down playfully. 

Alex was relieved that the seriousness from before had passed and now they could go back to teasing. Although with what Alex said next, she was still very serious. 

“Of course I do.” 

A moment of silent understanding passed between them before Willow glanced down at Alex’s other hand, which was holding a piece of paper. 

“What’s that?” She asked, nodding her head towards Alex’s hand. 

“Huh? Oh!” Alex exclaimed, raising the piece of paper up and handing it over to Willow. 

I want to talk...I do. But we just keep getting interrupted and it’s...just so damn annoying. And so I was in my office earlier thinking about...things, and an idea popped into my head. And so I booked us at that spa outside of town that you’ve been talking about for the weekend. It’s supposed to be amazing and exclusive and...very private. And I know it’s presumptuous of me to plan something so spur of the moment when the weekend is like...tomorrow and you have your manager duties, but I wanted to- 

“Take a breath, babe.” Willow said, pressing two fingers to Alex’s lips to quiet the rambling doctor. “I’d love to go away with you for the weekend. I’ll make it happen at work, don’t worry.” 

“Did you...just call me babe?” 

“God, you are such a nerd.” Willow said through a small laugh. 

“Takes one to know one.” Alex replied amusingly. 

“Yeah, yeah, come here and kiss me, you nerd, so we can sit down and eat and then I can run home to pack and get my shifts covered.” 

“Okay, but you’ll come back to spend the night, right?” Alex said, feigning a slight pout at the thought of having to spend the night alone since she’d grown so accustomed to the two of them spending the nights together most of the time recently. 

“I suppose I could...if you say please.” 

Alex closed the distance between them, pressing her lips, softly at first, into Willow’s. But as she placed her hand at the back of the trainer’s neck and pulled her in closer, she deepened the kiss, leaving them both breathless as they finally parted, leaning their foreheads against each other. 

“Please.” Alex stated, her voice still shaky and slightly out of breath. 

“How can I say no to that?” Willow responded, her voice equally shaky and out of breath. 

“You can’t.” Alex joked as she pulled back to look at her girlfriend. 

“No, I can’t” Willow said back, her eyes full of adoration and probably more. 

But she wasn’t ready to address that probably more part. There would be time for that. They’d have plenty of time for that. So, instead, Willow took Alex’s hand and led her over to the table, letting go so she could pull the chair out for Alex. And once they were both seated and had plenty of wine poured, they began eating Willow’s dinner, which Alex had to admit...was exceptionally delicious. 

******************************************************************** 

They arrived back in Summer Bay early Monday morning, a groan coming from both women as Alex pulled up at Irene’s house to drop Willow off. The weekend had been everything Alex had hoped for and more. The spa retreat they’d gone to had been a perfect mix of privacy and relaxation. Between meditative yoga classes, amazing couples' massages, and several stolen moments had in their own private hot-tub, they’d been thoroughly pampered and rejuvenated. They’d even managed to talk, uninterrupted about how they would handle Alex leaving for her next contract. Alex would go as far to say that it was the perfect weekend. And she could only hope...that Willow felt the same way. 

“Ugh, I don’t want to go back to work.” Willow said, interrupting Alex’s thoughts as she threw her head back dramatically against the car seat. “How am I supposed to run a workout when all I’ll be thinking about is the amazingly perfect weekend we just had?” 

Alex couldn’t help but smile. It was as though Willow had read her mind. She looked over at her girlfriend who was staring up at the roof of the car. 

“I know what you mean.” Alex said softly, prompting Willow to lower her gaze to Alex’s. 

“It was pretty amazing, right?” Willow asked, sliding her closer as she placed her hand atop Alex’s hand resting on her lap. 

“Yeah. Definitely amazing.” Alex agreed as she watched Willow slide in closer to her until the console between them stopped her. 

“You wanna know what my favorite parts were?” Willow said as the leaned over the console, their faces now mere inches apart. 

“Which ones?” Alex questioned, knowing she had a pretty good idea, as it was most likely her favorite as well. 

“The parts in the hot tub.” Willow responded before giving her girlfriend a mischievous wink and closing the distance between them. 

The kiss quickly became hot and heavy...much like the scenarios in the hot-tub they’d just been alluding to. It didn’t have time to progress, however, as they were interrupted by the loud ringing of Willow’s cellphone, prompting frustrated groans from both women as they reluctantly parted. Willow pulled out the ringing phone, looking at the screen. 

“It’s Jas. I should probably take it. She’s been trying to get a hold of me all weekend, but I told her it’d have to wait until we’re back.” 

“It’s okay, take it. I’ll see you later for breakfast before work? 

“Yes, definitely.” Willow responded before giving Alex a quick kiss goodbye and getting out of the car. 

Alex watched on as Willow answered her phone and walked up the sidewalk to enter her house. Before she went inside, the trainer turned to wave at Alex. Alex waved back, prompting Willow to turn back around and enter the house. As Alex started up her car, she couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh, matching the equally happy smile on her lips. There had been so many moments during their weekend getaway where Alex had wanted to tell Willow exactly how she felt. And by exactly, she meant that big four letter “L” word. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Something in her gut kept telling her it just wasn’t the right time yet. Even though everything in her heart was screaming that it was. It was okay, though, she thought, as she made the short drive back to her house. They would have plenty of time...


	2. The Siege-Willow's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willex gets some time together before the siege since we were robbed of that on the show, plus Willow's point of view as the siege is happening.

By the time she left Jasmine’s, Willow had an uneasy feeling she just couldn’t shake. Yes, Robbo had assured them that everything was going to be okay...that they’d all be safe, but something still didn’t feel right. And as she walked into Salt to meet Alex for their breakfast date, she was too lost in thought, a contemplative frown on her face, to notice Alex was waving her over to the table where she was sitting. 

“I think someone’s waiting for you.” Mackenzie said from behind Willow, bringing the trainer back to reality. 

When she looked over at Alex, her mood instantly lightened, the foreboding uneasiness replaced with contentment and...dare she say it? ...yes, she was going to say it...love. It was something she’d been grappling with for a while now. And it was also something she didn’t take lightly as she felt herself falling deeper for her girlfriend. But before she could entertain the thought of whether she should tell Alex or not, Mack interrupted her thoughts once more... 

“You know, it’s not polite to keep a lady waiting. Especially when she’s someone special.” 

Mackenzie gave Willow a less than subtle wink before heading off to tend to her customers, leaving Willow somewhat bewildered by her insinuating comment as she walked over to a waiting Alex. 

“Hey.” Alex greeted as she stood and gave Willow a quick kiss. 

“Hi.” Willow responded, sitting down next to the doctor. 

“Is everything okay? You seemed kind of...preoccupied there when I was trying to get your attention.” 

“No, yeah...everything is fine, it’s just...” 

Willow’s voice trailed off as she watched Mackenzie delivering an order to a nearby table. 

“...I think Mack knows about us?” 

“Well, we’ve hardly been discreet since you came out to everyone important to you.” Alex joked, giving her girlfriend a playful smile. 

Willow couldn’t help but return Alex’s smile with a huge grin of her own as her cheeks reddened ever so slightly. 

“I know, it just caught me off guard, I guess. And before you ask it, nooooo, I’m not ashamed or concerned about people knowing about us” 

And she truly wasn’t. She’d never been ashamed. And now that she’d told her family, she had nothing to hide. With that in mind, she leaned into Alex and planted a lingering kiss on the doctor’s lips as she brought her free hand up to caress her girlfriend’s cheek before pulling back. The soft adoration in her girlfriend’s eyes made her heart melt. It always did. But now especially so, since she knew she was feeling so much more for the incredible, beautiful woman next to her. 

“What was that for?” Alex asked, seemingly appreciative of the very public show of affection. 

“Well, it could have been one of two things.” Willow began, never one to miss an opportunity to tease her girlfriend. “First, it could have been because you make me so incredibly happy and I want all of Summer Bay to know...” 

Willow watched as Alex’s face lit up into that gorgeous smile she loved so much...the one that was reserved only for the trainer. 

“Or...” 

Willow watched again, amused as Alex quirked a curious brow her way. 

“Or?” Alex asked, her voice full of question. 

“Or...second, it could have been because that mysterious woman over there in the corner booth has been eyeing you over her coffee cup, and I just wanted to make sure she knew that you're taken.” 

When Alex took the bait and looked over at the corner booth, only to see that there was actually no one there, Willow's smile widened. As Alex quickly looked back over to Willow, she shook her head slightly in disbelief, chuckling at the sly look now playing across her girlfriend's face. 

“I can’t believe I fell for that.” Alex responded quietly, a hint of shyness in her voice. “But it’s good to know I make you happy.” She added, trying to deflect from her embarrassment. “Should we order? My shift starts in an hour and-” 

“Of course, you make me happy.” Willow interrupted, reaching up to caress Alex’s cheek as she tucked a few wayward strands of hair behind the doctor’s ear. “But I thought both options were pretty plausible.” She added, giving her girlfriend a playful wink. 

“Yeah...sure, because all the ladies are just checking me out all day every day.” Alex replied, rolling her eyes at the thought. “Now, are you gonna tell me what you want to eat or should I just order for you.” 

Willow couldn’t help but keep smiling at how adorable her girlfriend was when she was in modest mode...which was pretty much all the time. The woman was pure humbleness, even when it came to her profession and saving lives on a daily basis. And she may have never noticed, but the doctor did get looks here and there from both men and women alike. Who could blame them though? Alex was gorgeous, no matter how much she didn’t see herself that way. She exuded confidence, intelligence, and natural beauty even when she wasn’t trying to. So, it was no wonder others were intrigued by her presence. And Willow didn’t mind it. It just made her feel even luckier that Alex had chosen her...that she was the one who had captured the doctor’s heart. But...that didn’t mean she still couldn’t have a bit of fun with her... 

“You don’t have to be so modest all the time you know. You’re hot. You should own it and...just accept it, really.” Willow stated with a knowing smirk, being pretty sure she’d get a rise out of her girlfriend. 

Alex let out a frustrated sigh as she turned back around to face her smirking girlfriend. But before she could respond, Willow continued... 

“I mean, even Dean said so, which means-” 

“Dean said what, exactly?” Alex asked, not quite sure where the conversation was going. 

“That I have a hot girlfriend.” Willow replied, trying to keep a straight face in expectation of Alex’s response. 

Willow watched carefully as her girlfriend also seemed to be keeping a straight face, taking a few moments to respond, which in the trainer’s experience, most likely meant she was trying to come up with something witty to counter what she’d just revealed to her girlfriend. 

“Well, then it must be true if Dean said it.” Alex quipped with a slight shrug of her shoulders, her face matter of fact. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Willow exclaimed, giving Alex a playful smack on the shoulder. 

Of all the comebacks Alex could have thrown at her, she definitely hadn’t been expecting that one. Alex just shrugged her shoulders again, still maintaining a stoic face and posture. 

“You’ll agree with Dean saying you’re hot but not me? What the hell, Alex?” Willow said, feigning hurt in her voice. 

“Well, I mean, he’s got good taste in women, right? He dated you. And you’re incredibly hot. So...I trust his assessment.” 

Willow’s jaw dropped in shock as Alex turned away to motion to Mackenzie that they were ready to order. When she turned back around and saw that she’d left Willow speechless, she couldn’t help but break her serious demeanor, her lips curling up into a satisfied grin. Willow shook her head in disbelief a few times, in awe that she’d found someone who could not only keep up with her sarcasm and witty barbs, but could even best her and leave her with nothing to come back with. She loved it. Willow put her elbow up on the table, propping her head up in her hand and watched on, adoration in her eyes as Mackenzie walked up and took their order, Alex not needing to really ask what she wanted anyway, as she always...just knew. When Mackenzie walked away and Alex turned back to her girlfriend, Willow still had a silly smile on her face, prompting a chuckle, but equally adoring smile out of the doctor. 

“So, now that we’ve put this...hotness issue to bed, can we talk about more important things? Like...what are you doing later tonight after we’re off work? You wanna maybe come over and watch movie...have some take out. The usual?” Alex asked as she reached out to give Willow’s cheek a gentle caress. 

“The usual sounds wonderful.” Willow replied as she leaned into Alex’s touch and let out a contented sigh as she wondered just how long she could hold out on telling Alex what she felt. 

It was okay though...they’d have plenty of time... 

********************************************************************************** 

Later that morning, after Willow had walked Alex to the hospital, it didn’t take long for the feeling of foreboding she’d felt before breakfast to return. It had started up again when she’d come across Bella. The teenager had seemed really sick. And when she’d finally heard from Mack that she’d taken Bella to the hospital because she’d been about to collapse, it hadn’t helped matters. So, she’d been really irritated when she’d finally tracked down Colby and he tried playing it off as nothing being wrong. Then it was Dean and Ziggy. What should have been good news when she’d found out Ziggy was back had been apparently anything but when she’d talked to Dean and he’d seemed despondent and indifferent to his girlfriend’s return. There was definitely some stuff he hadn’t been telling Willow, and it bothered her. It seemed like everyone she cared about was going through a tough time. Everyone except for her. She had Alex. She was in love. She was...so, so happy. But a midst that happiness, she felt a bit of guilt. She wanted all of her friends and family to be happy as well. And right now...most of them were anything but. She chose not to dwell too much on it though, letting her thoughts drift back to Alex and how fortunate she was to have the doctor in her life. The thought made her want to call Alex, even though she knew she was probably busy and couldn't answer. She just wanted to let her girlfriend know she was thinking about her. But as she got out her phone and was about to dial, Dean came rushing into the gym. 

“Hey! Have you seen the news?” 

“What? No, why would I be watching the news?” 

The look on Dean's face worried Willow. He looked grim and serious...well, more so than usual for him. 

“Come on. Now.” 

Dean grabbed Willow's hand, pulling her out into the juice bar where a crowd was gathered around the TV behind the counter. 

“Dean, what's going on?” Willow asked, confused by the sight of everyone watching the television, having not yet looked at the screen. 

“Have you heard from Alex recently?” Dean asked, urgency in his voice. 

“No, I mean I was actually just about to call her before you barged in. She's at the hospital, so-” 

“Yeah, that's what I was afraid of.” 

Dean turned Willow around towards the television as someone turned up the volume. When Willow heard the words hostage situation and Northern Districts Hospital, her face went pale and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She quickly got out her phone, dialing a number before putting it up to her ear. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to block out the reporter's concerned voice on the television as she willed Alex to answer her phone. Her heart sank as the call went to voicemail. 

“Alex?” Willow's voice was shaky, infused with fear and worry. She had to take in a breath to try to calm her nerves before continuing. “Alex, it's me. I'm seeing what's happening at the hospital on the news and I just...please call me as soon as you can to let me know that you're okay. Please...please be safe...okay? Alex...I love you. Just...please be safe.” 

It wasn't until she ended the call and slowly lowered it down from her ear that she registered what she'd just said...or rather...admitted. Dean, who'd been standing right beside her the whole time, seemed equally shocked. Neither said anything for several moments, until Dean finally broke the awkward silence. 

“So...I love you, huh?” 

“Yeah...it just sort of came out. That's...so not how I wanted to tell her.” 

And that's when the panic set in... 

“What if I never get to tell her for real, Dean? I've been waiting for the right time and now...what if something happens to her? What if-"

“Shhhh...come here.” Dean replied, pulling Willow into his arms, giving her a reassuring hug. “You can't think like that. You'll get to tell her for real, okay? She's going to be fine.” 

He broke the embrace but kept a hold of Willow's arms. 

“Listen, let's head over to the hospital. I'm sure Colby can tell us something.” 

“Oh my God! Colby!” Willow exclaimed, stepping back from Dean's hold. 

“What? What about Colby?” 

“No! I was so worried about Alex I completely forgot...Bella and Mack are at the hospital too. Mack took Bella there earlier this afternoon but hasn't called to update.” 

“You're saying my sister is...” Dean hesitated then pointed up to the ongoing breaking newscast. "is in there too?” 

Willow could only manage to muster a slight nod. 

“Let's go. Now.” 

Before Willow could respond, she found herself running after Dean out of the gym and towards the hospital. 

************************************************************************** 

After they'd reached the hospital, had been stopped by the police barricade, and hadn't been told anything of use by Colby, Willow was near her breaking point, especially when he'd told them it was the emergency department that was being held hostage. Her worst fears had been confirmed, and she'd never felt so helpless in her life. She was pretty sure Dean was feeling the same way, as he was fuming with frustration beside her at the seeming lack of action by law enforcement. Willow was sure that Colby was right though...that they were doing what they could at the moment. But what they were doing...didn't seem like much of anything, and with the people they loved trapped inside, there definitely wasn't time to be mulling around waiting for outside help to arrive. 

A lot of things were going through Willow's mind as she stood there looking up at the hospital. And most of those things were worry, fear, and regret. Worry for the safety of her friends, family, and girlfriend being held at gunpoint. Fear of the possibility of one or none of them making it out alive. And regret...that she hadn't told Alex that she loved her when she had had so many chances to do so...thinking there would always be time. That there would be a right time. Now that there was a chance instead that something could happen to Alex...well it was pretty much shattering her heart with despair. She was so wrapped up in these things swirling around in her head that she barely registered that Ziggy had come running up asking about Dean. What she did register, however, moments later was the sound of a gunshot coming from the hospital. It was a sound that shocked her to the core. In that instant, the pain in her heart went numb, her breath caught in her throat, and she had to grab onto Ziggy to steady herself. And all she could think about was Alex and how now there was the possibility that they'd...run out of time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies for the delay in getting this chapter up. We had a typhoon come through last week. While it took several days to get electricity back, the internet is still pretty much dead, only working here and there. Hopefully that's gonna be fixed soon though and you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter. ;)


	3. The Siege-Alex's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's POV from the Willex breakfast date and later on during the siege.

Since Alex was early for their breakfast date, she took the opportunity to use the free time to catch up with a few patient files on her tablet as she sipped on a glass of orange juice. And while she was mostly focused on the work in front of her, she couldn’t help but notice out of the corner of her eye how Mackenzie seemed as though she was working up the nerve to come talk to her about something. She figured she knew what it was since she’d told her she was meeting Willow for breakfast. So, when Mack finally approached tentatively under the guise of asking if she could get her anything else while she waited, Alex decided to put the poor woman out of her apparent nagging curiosity misery. 

“No, I’m good, Mackenzie, thank you. We’ll order when Willow gets here.” 

“Right, of course. Speaking of you and Willow...” 

Alex gave Mack a small, understanding smile as she sat down her tablet and gave the woman her full attention. 

“I wasn’t aware we were...speaking of me and Willow.” Alex quipped back, a slight tease in her voice she hoped Mack would pick up on. 

“No, right. We weren’t. I mean, I didn’t mean to assume, it’s just-” 

Alex reached out and placed her hand gently atop the flustered woman’s, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

“It’s okay, I’m just teasing you.” Alex said, seeing the instant relief in Mackenzie’s eyes. 

“I’m so sorry. I can be...nosy sometimes. Not as nosy as Irene, of course-” 

“Of course.” Alex agreed, making them both chuckle in amusement. 

“I’m just...a bit out of the loop now that Colby and I aren’t together anymore. And nobody’s said anything to me about...the two of you. It’s just that...I’ve seen you both together...mostly here, and well...it’s in the way you two smile at each other. And I wanted you to know that...I think it’s really great. I’m really happy for you both, but especially for Willow. She deserves all the happiness in the world. And I can see it written all over her face...that you make her happy.” 

Alex definitely hadn’t been excepting that out of a woman she didn’t even know all that well. 

“I...wow, thank you.” 

The doctor was so stunned by Mackenzie’s admission, that was all she could seem to say. But her words made the doctor’s heart swell with happiness...and something much more. It was that something much more that she’d yet to admit to her girlfriend, although she’d thought about it more than once. She hadn’t wanted to rush an I love you though. It was a huge step for Alex, one she didn’t take lightly in the least. Plus, she’d been wanting to wait for the right time...for both of them. 

“You’re welcome.” Mackenzie responded, pulling Alex out of her contemplative thoughts. 

She gave Alex a warm smile before heading off to tend to some customers who’d just entered the restaurant. The moment Willow entered Salt, Alex could tell something was off. Her girlfriend seemed preoccupied and was frowning. She hadn’t even noticed yet that Alex was trying to get her attention by waving her over. That’s when she saw Mackenzie walk up behind Willow and say something. And when the trainer’s eyes finally landed on Alex’s, her mood seemed to instantly lighten, which relieved the doctor. But she seemed to be lost in thought again until Mack said something else to her before walking away to tend to some customers. When she finally arrived at their booth, Alex stood to greet her girlfriend, giving her a quick but sweet hello kiss. 

“Hey.” 

“Hi.” Willow greeted back, sitting down beside Alex. 

“Is everything okay? You seemed kind of...preoccupied there when I was trying to get your attention.” 

“No, yeah...everything is fine, it’s just...” 

Alex quietly observed her girlfriend as Willow’s voice trailed off and she watched Mackenzie walk over to a table to serve some customers, making her wonder what exactly Mack had said to Willow when she’d entered Salt. When Willow finally turned back to face Alex, she couldn’t quite read the trainer’s face, but once she spoke, she finally realized what her confused demeanor was all about... 

“...I think Mack knows about us?” 

Alex’s lips quirked ever so slightly into a smile as she tried to maintain her composure at how serious yet adorable Willow looked in that moment. 

“Well, we’ve hardly been discreet since you came out to everyone important to you.” Alex joked as her lips widened into a knowing smile. 

Her smile grew as she saw that Willow had relaxed and was now returning her smile, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly...which was also...so adorable. 

“I know, it just caught me off guard, I guess. And before you ask it, nooooo, I’m not ashamed or concerned about people knowing about us” 

The thought hadn’t even crossed Alex’s mind. Willow had assured her from the start of their relationship that she wasn’t ashamed to be with the doctor. She’d never doubted that. The trainer had only needed time feeling comfortable telling those closest to her, which she now had. Which also meant others were bound to notice their open closeness and public displays of affection. But before Alex could continue mulling over how awesome it was to now be able to kiss her girlfriend in public, Willow surprised her by leaning in for a soft, lingering kiss, caressing her cheek before pulling back. At that point, she was pretty sure the love she felt for Willow was showing clearly on her face. 

“What was that for?” Alex asked, still feeling the sweet warmth on her lips from Willow’s kiss. 

“Well, it could have been one of two things.” Willow began, never one to miss an opportunity to tease her girlfriend. “First, it could have been because you make me so incredibly happy and I want all of Summer Bay to know...” 

Alex felt her cheeks flush as her face lit up in a grin. She’d never tire of hearing her girlfriend say she was happy. It made her heart soar. 

“Or...” 

Alex couldn’t help but quirk a curious brow at her girlfriend at the notion of or. But knowing the trainer as she did, she got a kick out of teasing the doctor and was probably about to say something to get a rise out of her. 

“Or?” Alex asked, definitely curious as to what other reason there could be for the impromptu kiss. 

“Or...second, it could have been because that mysterious woman over there in the corner booth has been eyeing you over her coffee cup, and I just wanted to make sure she knew that you're taken.” 

Woman? What woman? Alex quickly looked over to where Willow had been. Seeing no-one, she internally scolded herself for taking her girlfriend’s bait. And upon turning back around to face Willow, she noticed the sly smirk on her girlfriend’s face. Alex shook her head in disbelief. 

“I can’t believe I fell for that.” Alex responded quietly, a hint of shyness in her voice. “But it’s good to know I make you happy.” She added, trying to deflect from her embarrassment. “Should we order? My shift starts in an hour and-” 

“Of course, you make me happy.” Willow interrupted, reaching up to caress Alex’s cheek as she tucked a few wayward strands of hair behind the doctor’s ear. “But I thought both options were pretty plausible.” She added, giving her girlfriend a playful wink. 

Both options were plausible? Her girlfriend was being pretty generous with that second one, Alex thought to herself as she tried to recollect the last time she’d even noticed a woman checking her out. Although she was pretty sure it was never. If anything, it would be woman...and men checking out Willow because, truth be told, her girlfriend was pretty damn hot. But checking out Alex? Yeah, not likely. 

“Yeah...sure, because all the ladies are just checking me out all day every day.” Alex replied, rolling her eyes at the thought. “Now, are you gonna tell me what you want to eat or should I just order for you.” 

“You don’t have to be so modest all the time you know. You’re hot. You should own it and...just accept it, really.” Willow stated with a knowing smirk. 

It seemed her girlfriend really wasn’t going to give up on the whole hot notion. It was something that made her uncomfortable. Well, she didn’t have a problem with Willow thinking she was hot. Coming from her, it was definitely the ultimate compliment. But Alex wasn’t the type to take compliments well, usually shrugging them off and deflecting with humor or sarcasm. Some called it modesty. Alex would define it more as not wanted to be reduced so self-worth based on one’s looks. She let out a frustrated sigh, ready to respond, when Willow started up again before she could speak... 

“I mean, even Dean said so, which means-” 

“Dean said what, exactly?” Alex asked, not quite sure where the conversation was going. But the mention of Dean had definitely caught her attention, knowing how much he and his opinions meant to Willow. 

“That I have a hot girlfriend.” Willow replied frankly. 

Alex wasn’t sure how her girlfriend was keeping a straight face, but the doctor wasn’t about to be bested by the trainer either. So, she also maintained a straight face while in her head she was trying to figure out the best way to respond to the fact that not only had Willow discussed her with Dean, but that her girlfriend’s ex also thought Alex was hot. She wasn’t quite sure how one was supposed to react to that. And that’s why she figured the best reaction was no reaction at all. 

“Well, then it must be true if Dean said it.” Alex quipped with a slight shrug of her shoulders while keeping her face as matter of fact as possible. 

She gave herself an internal small victory point as she saw Willow’s face waver ever so slightly. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Willow exclaimed, giving Alex a playful smack on the shoulder. 

At that point, Alex knew she’d won this latest round of teasing banter from her girlfriend, now it was just a matter of bringing home the win. The doctor shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly once more, maintaining her stoic face and posture. This time, Willow took the bait. 

“You’ll agree with Dean saying you’re hot but not me? What the hell, Alex?” Willow said, feigning hurt in her voice. 

“Well, I mean, he’s got good taste in women, right? He dated you. And you’re incredibly hot. So...I trust his assessment.” 

When Willow’s jaw dropped in shock, Alex knew she’d won the game, set, and match. As she did her internal victory dance, she turned away from her girlfriend to motion to Mackenzie that they were ready to order. When she turned back around, she realized she had left Willow speechless, which in itself was a pretty big feat. So, when Alex finally broke her serious demeanor and let her lips curl up into a satisfied grin, all the trainer could do in the moment was shake her head a few times in disbelief. When Mack arrived at the table, Alex promptly turned her attention to her and ordered for the both of them. Honestly, she didn’t need to ask what Willow wanted, she knew her girlfriends favorite breakfast dish. When she turned back to face the trainer, Willow had her elbow on the table, head propped in her hand and a goofy smile of adoration on her face. That prompted a chuckle and equally adoring smile out of the doctor. She wanted to tell Willow right then and there that she loved her. God, how she loved this adorable woman sitting beside her. 

“So, now that we’ve put this...hotness issue to bed, can we talk about more important things? Like...what are you doing later tonight after we’re off work? You wanna maybe come over and watch movie...have some take out. The usual?” Alex asked as she reached out to give Willow’s cheek a gentle caress. 

“The usual sounds wonderful.” Willow replied as she leaned into Alex’s touch and let out a contended sigh. 

Maybe she would tell Willow tonight...if she felt like the timing and mood were right. If not, it was okay though, they’d have plenty of time... 

************************************************************************ 

It had been a fairly slow day in the ER that afternoon. Willow had insisted upon walking Alex to the hospital after breakfast, which had pretty much made Alex’s day. Every time she thought about it...or really, just thought about her girlfriend in general, it brought a grin to her lips. She didn’t get much time to dwell on her most recent thought about the trainer, however, as she was interrupted by Mackenzie coming into the ER with an ailing Bella. Deciding that the teenager would need further evaluation, she said it was okay for the two of them to go to the bathroom while an examination bed was prepared for Bella. What happened next, seemed surreal... 

First came the screams...reactions from a man holding a gun up in the air telling everyone to get down. 

Next came the panic...as her colleagues were trying to make sense of what was happening. 

Then came the fear, as they were all corralled into an open hallway of the ER and Mason was thrown up again the wall as he tried to reason with one of the gunmen. 

“He’s sorry! Alright! Hey, hey, hey...we’ll do whatever you say. No-one needs to get hurt.” 

On the outside, she was calm and collective, doing what it took to make sure Mason didn’t get himself shot. On the inside, she was scared, yes, but knew she needed to keep her head if they were going to make it out of this situation alive. She let out the breath she didn’t even realize she’d been holding when the gunman finally let Mason go. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, thinking of the safety of her patients and how she was going to make sure everyone was tended to who needed medical assistance. After she and Mason had tried figuring out why they were being held hostage, her thoughts went to Bella and Mackenzie, who were thankfully not in the room with the rest of them. But she knew Bella was going to need immediate attention soon, and conditions...weren’t exactly favorable for treating anyone at the moment. 

When the department phone on the wall rang, and she wasn’t allowed to answer it, the gunman opting instead to have Jasmine get it, Alex sat back down in defeat. It was in that moment when she thought of Willow. It was one moment in particular that entered the doctor’s head...a moment from their weekend away together. Alex took a second to let herself relive that moment that had meant so much to her... 

_When Alex had awakened the next morning, after a long evening of relaxing spa treatments, massages, and hours of exploring each other's bodies on their own, she was met with adoringly warm brown eyes looking at her._

_“Thank you.” Willow had said quietly as she smiled down at Alex._

_“You’re welcome?” Alex had replied through a yawn, not quite awake. “But what are you thanking me for? I haven't done anything?”_

_“Oh, but you have. In fact, you did a number of things last night as I recall.” Willow had quipped with a sly grin on her face, causing Alex to chuckle in response. “And I definitely thank you for that.” Willow had continued as she placed her hand gently on Alex's cheek, caressing the doctor with her thumb. “But most of all I'm thankful for the way you just...get me. You're like my rock, you know? You just have this way of centering me and making me feel like I can do anything. And you make me...so...so happy.”_

_“You make me so, so happy too, but where is all this coming from?” Alex had asked, propping herself up on her elbow, studying her girlfriend intently._

_“It’s nothing, I’m just...I-thank you.” Willow had responded, although it had felt like she was holding something back._

_“You’re welcome then...again.” Alex had said through a small laugh before contemplating on something and then continuing. “So, when you say rock, what sort of rock would I be? Maybe granite? Oh, or how about basalt? It’s one of the hardest igneous rocks and so cool ‘cause they can come from lava flows and...what?_

_Alex had paused, taking in the incredulous look Willow was giving her._

_“You’re such a nerd.” Willow had stated but with a big, endearing smile on her face. “Most girls would hear rock and automatically think diamond, and here you are talking all...basalt and igneous rocks?_

_“Well, I’m not like most girls.” Alex had retorted, pride in her voice._

_“No, you’re not.” Willow had replied sincerely before leaning in and kissing Alex softly on the lips._

Alex was quickly brought back to reality when one of her colleagues who’d been hiding had been discovered and was brought into the room with the rest of them. She thought again of Willow, and how she’d said that Alex was her rock. Well, now it was Willow’s turn to be Alex’s rock. And although the trainer didn’t know it, Alex had always drawn strength from her girlfriend as well...especially when it had come to taking that leap of faith together. And what a beautiful leap of faith it’d turned out to be. What kind of rock Willow was, well they’d have to discuss that the next time they saw each other. One thing was certain, however, and that was that Alex was bound and determined to get everyone out of this situation safe and sound and in time to have that promised Netflix and chill date with her girlfriend. 

When Mackenzie came out of hiding and told Alex that it looked like Bella had overdosed on something, she knew she had to get to the teenager. So, when one of the gunmen had been distracted by the ringing emergency telephone on the wall, Alex took the risk and headed for the examination room where Bella was hiding. She wasn’t fast enough though, and when she was caught, she’d been lying if she’d said she wasn’t terrified. But she thought of Willow. She thought of her rock...the one who centered her. And she was able to keep calm and talk her way out of it. Bella, however, wasn’t able to contain her pain and so they were back to square one...held hostage with patients in need of care and gunmen with no seeming control or purpose to the situation. 

When Alex was finally able to examine Bella, she knew it was bad. The teenager needed medical attention and she needed it now. That’s when things started to go downhill fast. First Mason rushed over to them, causing a raucous from the gunman. Alex had had it with the inability to provide life-saving care to her patient and stood up in defiance as well. 

“She needs proper treatment or she could die.” Alex stated firmly, not backing down. 

Next it was Jasmine, also chiming in on how they needed to tend to the sick patients. Even Marilyn jumped up, walked over to the protesting group and added her two cents to the argument. And in that moment, Alex was quite proud of her Summer Bay community. But that sense of pride didn’t last long, as things went downhill fast, chaos ensuing. And when the gunshot went off, all of her thoughts were instantly on Willow and how much time she thought they’d had...


	4. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The siege finally comes to an end, leaving a reunited Alex and Willow to face what they truly mean to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how the show plans on having Dean and Colby stop the siege. Especially since Dean is going in unarmed and Colby seems like a ridiculously wishy-washy cop who doesn't know how to use a gun. But, I'm going to stick with the suspension of belief they'll probably ask of us and have them save the day...with Alex's help, of course. ;)

The next few minutes seemed to pass by in slow motion for Alex. She was vaguely aware that a few of her colleagues and patients were able to escape via a nearby exit as they were distracting the gunmen. She could only hope that they’d all make it out safely and help would be arriving shortly. When the gunshot had gone off, she’d initially closed her eyes, flinched, and thought of Willow, thinking of all the things they’d yet to do or say to each other. She opened her eyes to screams and crying and was first in shock as she looked down beside her to see Mason lying motionless at her feet, blood flowing from a bullet wound in his abdomen. She immediately knelt down beside him, putting pressure on the wound as she checked his pulse. Her initial shock turned to anguish as she realized...he was already gone. 

********************************************************************* 

By the time Colby had run over to the police barricade, Dean had gone, having told the trainer he was going to take matters into his own hands to save his sister, Bella, and Alex. Willow only half-heard what he was saying as he rushed off, still in shock at the sound of the gunshot going off inside the hospital...inside the emergency department where Alex was among the hostages. Meaning, there was a possibility that her girlfriend could be hurt. She barely heard Colby questioning her, asking where Dean was. When she didn’t respond, just giving him a knowing look, he caught on soon enough, looking around and running off to try to stop Dean before he could get himself into trouble. Honestly, she hoped Dean would figure something out, as the police hadn’t seemed to do much of anything. A part of her even wished she’d been paying more attention when he’d told her his plan, then maybe she’d have been able to convince him that she was going too. She desperately wanted to get to Alex, know for sure that she was okay so that she could hold on to her and never let go again. But all she could do now was wait...and hope that she’d get that chance to hold Alex in her arms again once this whole crazy situation was under control... 

************************************************************************* 

When Alex pulled the sheet up over Mason’s lifeless body, the room fell silent, with only the sounds of scuffling feet from the now pacing gunmen echoing through the hallway. She was heartbroken for the young doctor, but also angry with him...for having gone against her advice of not provoking the gunmen, who had been on edge from the start. Now his family would have to grieve him...she would have to grieve him...a life full of potential and the desire to help others...now gone in the blink of an eye...or the pull of a trigger. But she didn’t have much time to dwell on the swirl of emotions going through her mind, as Bella yelled out in pain, her condition turning dire. Alex rushed over, crouching down beside her, checking her pulse while trying to talk her though it as best she could. Between Mackenzie’s pleading eyes and Bella’s deteriorating status, something in Alex snapped. She calmly stood, and was instantly met by the lead gunman’s ugly snarling face as he pointed his gun at her. 

“What part of sit down and shut up don’t you understand, lady? Unless you want to end up like the wannabe hero under that sheet, I suggest you do what I say.” 

“And I suggest,” Alex started, taking a moment to swallow down the fear creeping up in throat before she continued. “You allow me to treat this young lady beside me before you have another death on your hands.” 

Alex waited, as the gunman seemed unphased, his lips still turned up in that ugly snarl. Before she could say anything more, one of the other gunmen approached, leaning in to whisper something into the snarling guy’s ear. He gave a slight nod, his menacing stare not leaving Alex’s eyes as the second gunmen stepped away. 

“You have one minute to get what you need and bring it back out here. He’ll be accompanying you.” The gunmen said, nodding over to the gunmen next to him. “If you try anything...” 

“I understand.” Alex interrupted. “Let’s go.” 

She didn’t wait for the gunman to respond as she turned and ran down the hallway in search of what she needed to treat Bella. 

Sixty seconds later, she returned, flanked by the gunman who’d made sure to point the gun at her back the entire time she was gathering what she needed. She didn’t have time to dwell on that though as she quickly made her way over to Bella, knelt beside her, and got to work... 

...a short time later, Alex was able to let out a sigh of relief as Bella’s condition had finally stabilized. She’d kept her promise to the teenager...that she wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. Mackenzie helped the doctor pull a blanket up around Bella’s neck, tucking her in carefully so she’d keep calm and warm. 

“Thank you.” Mack whispered as she grasped Alex’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

Alex could only manage to muster a slight nod, as she tried to mask the concern running through her head at the thought of other patients like Bella that might be needing immediate attention. As she stayed by Bella’s side, wondering what their next move should be, she happened to turn her head towards a hallway exit, and nearly gasped at what she saw. There, crouched in the shadows were Dean and Colby. Colby seemed to be surveying the room, eyes furrowed in concentration. But Dean was looking directly at her. He had an intense look of determination of his face, which was surprisingly reassuring to Alex. However, the odds were not at all reassuring as she wondered just how two men, one of them unarmed, were going to take out three very armed men. So, she took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling and standing, willing the courage to be strong to stay with her as she was yet again faced with a pointed gun in her direction. She raised up her hands in surrender before speaking. 

“I’m sorry, I need one more thing for her treatment. I was in such a hurry, what with a gun pointed at my back and all, that I completely forgot.” 

“She looks fine to me.” The lead gunman replied. “Sit down.” 

“No” Alex stated firmly. “I have an obligation to see to it that she gets the proper treatment...all of it.” 

“I’ve run out of patience with you, Doc.” The gunman started as he stepped in closer to Alex, now brandishing his gun at her head. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Colby stepped undetected up to the gunman keeping watch over the room from the hallway entrance, shoving the gun hard but quietly into his back. He carefully reached around and took the gun from the him, giving it to Dean before forcing the guy to sit as he cuffed his hands behind his back. 

“I’m just trying to do my job.” Alex said as calmly as she could for having a gun aimed at her face. 

“Sit down.” The gunman ordered again. 

“Alex, get down!” Colby shouted as he and Dean marched into the room. 

Alex didn’t hesitate. She immediately dropped to the ground, flat on her stomach, internally thanking Willow for having constantly dogged her about proper technique when getting into proper push-up position. The instant she hit the floor, she heard two shots, two screams of pain, and two thuds as bodies hit the floor, the gunman who’d been pointing a gun to her face seconds ago now writhing in pain beside her as he grasped his shoulder. Dean and Colby were immediately at her side next, with Dean checking on Mack and Bella and Colby checking on her. 

“Alex, are you okay?” 

It took a moment for Alex to gather her wits, still a bit phased by everything that had just happened. But once she felt Colby’s reassuring grasp on her shoulder, she finally felt a small amount of calmness. 

“Alex?” Colby asked again, concern in his voice. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.” 

“Of course.” Colby replied before standing up and calling on his police radio for backup. 

“Colby?” Alex asked as she finally was able to stand on her still shaky legs. She cleared her throat before continuing, trying her best to regain her composure and inner strength. “There are patients that need medical care. We...weren't able to take care of them while...” 

Alex was grateful for Colby’s look of understanding as her voice trailed off, thinking of what they’d all just went through. She watched as he looked over at Mack and Bella, a wistful look in his eyes. 

“She’s going to be okay. Mackenzie took good care of her until I was finally able to stabilize her.” 

“Thank you.” Colby said, his eyes watery at the thought that he could have not only lost his sister, but the woman he still loved as well. 

“Of course.” Alex replied, finally able to let her lips form a small smile as she gave his arm a slight squeeze. 

It was Colby who had to regain his composure this time as he took a moment before facing Alex again. 

“You can’t treat anyone up here since this is a crime scene. I’ll have the officers secure another level of the hospital so you and your staff can start treating patients. But...emergencies only. And then you’re going to have to stick around to be questioned by us and most likely the federal police. I’m sorry, but it’s protocol.” 

“Understood.” Alex said through a weary sigh. 

“And there’s also the matter of your very persistent girlfriend outside who’s been trying to evade my barricade in her attempts to find out if you’re okay. I’ll let her know where you are once everything is situated.” 

“Okay.” Alex replied, her voice watery with emotion as she thought of Willow and how worried she must still be not knowing what happened or that she was safe. 

Colby nodded before heading over to Bella and Mack. Several other officers had entered the room and were handling the three gunmen. As they were finally escorted out of her emergency department, Alex was finally able to let out a sincere sigh of relief. But she still had work to do...and lives to save... 

********************************************************************************* 

By the time Colby had finally come out of the hospital after most of the hostages had already been released with no sign of Alex, Willow was a complete wreck. Barricade be damned, she ducked under it and sprinted up to Colby, panic in her voice and anguish written all over her face. 

“Colby! What the hell happened? Where’s Alex? There were more shots and she hasn’t come out yet. Is she-” 

“Will, take a breath, she’s fine.” 

“She is?” Willow asked through tears she could no longer hold back. “Are you sure? Because I still haven’t heard from her and all these other people have come out and-” 

“She’s okay, Will. I promise you. She’s just tending to some patents she couldn’t treat while the hostage situation was ongoing. She’s going to have to stick around after to answer some questions and then she should be okay to leave.” 

“And Bella and Mack? Willow inquired, her voice still quite shaky with emotion. 

“They’re fine too. Alex was able to finally treat Bella after some quick thinking and outright brazen tenacity...as Mack tells it, anyway.” 

Willow was finally able to relax, albeit it only a little, as she let out a sigh of relief. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to fully believe it until she was able to see Alex safe and sound for herself. Colby pretty much knew that too as he interjected before she could even ask it... 

“Yes, you can go in and see her. Everything is secure. And although it is absolutely against protocol-” 

“Thank you!” Willow exclaimed, not waiting for Colby’s schematics as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and rushed off towards the hospital. 

************************************************************************* 

Willow had a million thoughts whirling around in her head as to what she was going to say to Alex as an officer escorted her to a different wing of the hospital than what she was used to. But all of those thoughts instantly ceased and her mind went completely blank as she finally set eyes on Alex. The doctor looked exhausted and defeated as she stepped outside of an examining room and rested against the wall, letting out a weary sigh. Her heart ached for the doctor and everything she must have gone through, all the while, still caring for her patients and putting their needs before hers. 

“Alex.” Willow manages to squeak out, her voice low and raspy...so low, that she wasn’t even sure if Alex heard her. 

When Alex heard her girlfriend softly calling her name, she was flooded with intense emotions...relief, sadness, joy, and love all fighting their way up to the surface and flowing out as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. When her watery eyes met Willow’s, she didn’t have to wait long to feel her girlfriend’s embrace, as the trainer made a beeline for the doctor, practically jumping into her arms and wrapping them tightly around Alex’s waist. Alex instantly melted into those strong arms as she, in turn, clung to Willow’s shoulders with one arm while gripping the back of her neck with her other hand, holding the trainer tight against her. And as she exhaled a shaky breath, she let herself cry for the first time in a long time, finally allowing herself to actually feel the emotions she’d been holding in during the entire siege. 

“It’s okay, baby.” Willow said softly against Alex’s neck. “I’ve got you.” 

The endearing sentiment only made the tears flow more profusely as Alex continued to cling to her girlfriend as Willow remained strong and supportive...her rock. Once the tears had run dry, Alex was finally able to pull back enough to look the trainer in the eyes...those beautifully warm and loving brown eyes. She could get lost in those eyes if she wanted to, and in that moment she definitely wanted to... forget everything that had happened the last couple of hours and get lost in her eyes...her touch...her love... 

She wanted to say it...she needed to say it. But then she thought about time again and how before the siege she’d always thought that they’d have time...that she’d find the right time to tell her. And then that thought about time made her think about Mason. Her face fell along with her heart. Willow noticed the sudden shift in her girlfriend, preparing to comfort her once more as she figured she was still needing to get out all of the fear and anxiety from the siege. 

“Mason.” Alex said, her voice once again shaky and emotional. 

Willow was confused, but didn’t think too much of it as she responded... 

“Yeah, where is Mase? He wasn’t one of the ones leaving the hospital earlier. Is he down here with you helping more patients?” 

“No, he...” 

A few tears trickled down Alex’s cheek as she looked down at her feet, took in a shallow breath, and then looked back up at Willow, the grief showing in her eyes. Willow was worried now as she stepped in closer to the doctor and brought up her hand, cupping Alex’s cheek and caressing it reassuringly with her thumb. 

“Al, what’s wrong? You’re starting to worry me. What’s happened?” 

“Mason got shot, he...didn’t make it.” Alex replied softly. 

“What? No!” Willow exclaimed, stepped back from her girlfriend, in shock, a few tears leaking from her eyes. “No, that-” 

“There was nothing I could do, I-” 

“Oh, my God.” Willow interrupted, now in panic mode infused with sheer shock. “Has anyone told the Morgans? Maybe I should go be with them. They shouldn’t be alone right now.” 

“And I should?” Alex asked hastily, regretting it the moment the words left her lips. But in truth, she really didn’t want to be left alone. 

“What? No, of course not.” Willow responded, stepping back into Alex and rubbing her hand gently up and down the doctor’s arm. “I didn’t mean it like that. This is all...just a lot to take in and-” 

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Alex interrupted, feeling slightly irritated at Willow and not quite understanding why. 

Of course, Mason’s family needed to be told. Although she was pretty sure Colby had probably already relayed the news. And her heart was breaking for the Morgans, especially after all they’d already been through. But why did Willow have to be the one to step up and offer to go be with them when...well, she really wanted her to stay and be the rock she needed for once. A part of her really needed Willow right then and there. Yet, the other part of her was starting to feel somewhat guilty. What right did she have to ask her to stay, especially when she was so close to the Morgans and wanted to check in on them. So, Alex did what she always did...put her feelings and needs aside for the good of others... 

“You should go...go see the Morgans. I’m sure they could really use the support.” 

“Yeah.” Willow replied hesitantly. “But I want to be here for you too. I mean...what you went through, if I-” 

“It’s okay, really.” Alex interjected. “Plus, I have a few more patients to check in on and then I’m going to have to be questioned by the police.” 

“Can’t that wait until tomorrow?” 

“I’m afraid not.” Came a voice behind them. 

As they turned around, they saw Colby walking up to them, flanked by a guy neither one had seen before. 

“Alex, this is Federal Agent Palmer. He’s here to question you and the rest of your colleagues.” 

“Colby, can you give us a second?” Willow asked, annoyance in her voice at the interruption and the way Alex had seemed to shut down emotionally at mentioning leaving to check on the Morgans. 

“Willow, this is official police business. I need you to step aside and-” 

“Just. One. Second, Colby.” Willow reiterated, pulling Alex aside as she looked the doctor in the eyes and continued, her voice low so no-one else could hear them. “Is this about the message I left on your voicemail? Because you’re acting very weird all of a sudden. And look, I know I was in a state of panic at the time and emotionally all over the place, but I still meant it.” 

Willow’s eyes were full of intensity, and had Alex known what she was talking about, she’d have definitely known that she meant what she’d just said. 

“I’m glad you meant...whatever you said. But I haven’t had access to my phone since the siege. It was in my office when it went down since I had to step out to tend to Bella.” 

Willow let out a frustrated sigh. It was now or never for the trainer. And she definitely couldn’t settle for never. Not anymore. 

“I said that I loved you.” Willow whispered softly, not wanting Colby and the agent to have privilege to such an important confession. 

“What? I didn’t get that.” Alex replied, for once not being sarcastic. She really hadn’t heard her girlfriend properly. 

“I said I love you!” Willow exclaimed, much louder this time...loud enough to make Colby and the agent look over at the two of them before quickly looking back, embarrassed they’d heard. 

Alex was speechless. And she was speechless for a few seconds too long, because she saw the confidence in Willow’s eyes fade away into uncertainty as she began to shift back and forth on her feet, a nervous habit the trainer usually wasn’t even aware she was doing. 

“I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now. I just...it never quite felt like the right time...yet. But when I found out you here in the hospital and there were gunmen and there was a chance that-” 

Willow was cut off but the sob that escaped from her throat. Alex was quick to swoop in and pull the trainer into her arms as her girlfriend proceeded to bury her face under the doctor’s chin and held on tight as she sobbed into Alex’s chest. Alex rubbed her back reassuringly as she let Willow cry it out. 

“I love you too.” Alex said quietly but assuredly at Willow’s ear when the trainer’s tears finally subsided but she kept her hold on the doctor. “But this is so not how I wanted to tell you.” Alex continued, trying to lighten the mood a bit. 

It worked. Willow let go of Alex, stepping back as she let out a watery chuckle. 

“That’s exactly what I told Dean when he overheard me telling you over voicemail.” 

Alex let her lips curl up into a small smile, prompting Willow to do the same. She reached out and took both of Willow’s hands in hers, their eyes locked on each other, saying everything that needed to be said without actually saying a word aloud. Their moment was short-lived, however, when Colby cleared his throat, prompting them both to look over at him. 

“Right.” Alex said, regrettably letting go of Willow’s hands. “You have questions, Agent Palmer? I don’t have an office in this wing of the hospital, but I’m sure we can find some place private.” 

“Thank you, Dr. Neilson. I’ll try to make it as quick as possible. I know you’ve had one hell of a day.” 

“I appreciate that.” She replied, before turning back to face Willow. 

Alex leaned in, cupping Willow’s cheek as she met the trainer’s lips in a slow, soft kiss. 

“Meet me at the pier in a couple of hours?” Alex asked as she broke the kiss and lovingly pushed a few stray hairs back behind her girlfriend’s ear. 

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Willow replied. 

Willow lifted up on her tip-toes to give Alex a quick kiss on the cheek before heading past Colby and the agent, a relieved smile on her face and a newfound giddiness in her step. 

************************************************************************* 

As Willow approached the pier, Alex hadn’t seen her yet. So, she took advantage of the moment and took a few seconds to observe her girlfriend from afar. She was still wearing the same outfit from earlier, which told Willow the doctor hadn’t been home yet. She’d figured as much, knowing Alex as she did, she’d probably been feeling too on edge to go home, needing to process everything that had happened that day in a quiet location. The pier was the perfect place for that, as it was deserted now, with most of Summer Bay’s residents most likely spending time at home with their loved ones in the wake of the siege. She had gone to check on the Morgans, but there hadn’t been much she could do except offer her condolences and be a shoulder to cry on when Tori broke down upon seeing her. She watched as Alex stood at the railing, her arms propped up on it and her hands clasped together as she stared out over the bay. As Willow continued her walk towards her girlfriend, Alex turned her head at the sound of approaching feet, smiling when she saw it was Willow. 

“Hey.” Alex said softly, feeling instantly lighter at the sight of her girlfriend. 

“Hi,” Willow replied as she reached Alex, stopping beside her so they were now standing shoulder to shoulder as they both looked out at the bay together. 

“How’d it go with the feds?” Willow asked as she wrapped her arm around Alex’s back for support. 

“Fine. It was fine.” Alex stated, not really wanting to elaborate for now. “How’d it go with the Morgans?” 

“Definitely not fine.” Willow replied solemnly as Alex reciprocated Willow’s comforting arm around the back by placing her own around the trainer’s shoulders. 

Both women let out sad sighs as they continued to look out at the bay, neither one quite sure how to broach the topic of a certain four-letter word and their admission of it. Finally, Alex was the first one to break the silence as she turned to Willow, releasing their hold on each other as the place her hand atop the trainer’s resting on the railing. 

“I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier at the hospital when you mentioned going to check on the Morgans. I-” 

“Alex, you don’t have to apologize. You’ve been through a lot today and-” 

“Yeah, I kinda do. It’s the same thing I did to you when you didn’t want to tell Bella about us, and I’m sorry. I’m just...really bad at...telling people what I’m feeling. I tend to keep it all bottled up inside until...it unfortunately explodes, usually in frustration or anger.” 

“Okay. So, then what was is you were feeling when I suggested checking on Mason’s family?” 

“I was feeling alone and vulnerable...and scared. I didn’t want you to leave just yet. I know it was selfish, but-” 

“No, Alex, it wasn’t selfish. Please, just...from now on, always tell me what you’re feeling? Okay?” 

Willow reached up to give Alex’s cheek a loving caress, prompting Alex to lean into her girlfriend’s touch. 

“Okay. Then in that case...I love you.” 

Willow’s face lit up into her signature toothy grin as Alex continued. 

“And I’ve been putting off saying it, thinking there’d be time. That there’d be the perfect time. Like maybe a romantic picnic on the beach or a private, candlelight dinner at Salt, or...during another impromptu skinny-dipping session...” 

“Ohhh, I like that last idea.” Willow interrupted, quirking her eyebrows mischievously at her girlfriend, prompting her to let out an amused chuckle. 

“But then, when those gunmen stormed into the hospital and had us all down on the ground, all I could think about was...what if I missed my chance to tell her. What if...there is no more time?” 

“Alex.” Willow whispered, her voice quivering with emotion. 

“I didn’t expect...any of this...with you. But it’s been a nice surprise...an amazing surprise. And I don’t want to hold back my feelings anymore. I want you. And I love you.” 

“Come here.” Willow said softly, stepping into Alex’s space and cupping her cheeks with both hands as she closed the distance between them and kissed the doctor. 

It was a long, sweet kiss, as she tried her best to pour as much love as she was feeling into it as she could. When she finally broke the kiss, she pressed her forehead gently against Alex’s as she spoke. 

“I love you too. So...so much.” 

When Alex pulled back, she saw a few tears leak out from Willow’s eyes, prompting her to reach out and gently brush them away. 

“So, what happens next?” Willow asked as she reached out to take Alex’s hands in hers as she lowered them from her face. 

“Well, first, I really...really want to get out of these clothes and take a nice, long...hot bath. And as you know...my bathtub is perfectly suited for two.” 

“I love the way you think, Dr. Neilson.” 

“I figured you would.” Alex continued as the started walked down the pier, hand in hand. 

And as they made their way back to Alex’s house, the doctor couldn’t help but wonder about the more cerebral answer to Willow’s question...what happens next? To that, she didn’t have an answer. But now that they were together and committed to each other, she wasn’t at all worried. Because now they’d have time...to figure it out together.


End file.
